Tag Archives: yosemite

Apple aims to take this functionality a small step further in iOS 8 with Instant Hotspot, a new feature where iPads and Macs intelligently discover when an iPhone is nearby and automatically list the device under Wi-Fi networks in Settings. When an iPad is no longer using your iPhone’s cellular network, it intelligently disconnects to save battery life.

All of the new iOS 8 hotspot features are the same on the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and older iPhones. When you upgrade your Mac to OS X Yosemite in October you’ll also benefit from the new way the iOS 8 hotspot works. The same signal and battery life information shows up in the WiFi area which is a great way to see these important details if the iPhone is still in your pocket or a backpack.

A hotspot feature is not tied to a contract, so you can add it and remove it when you want. If you are on shared data it normally includes access to the iOS 8 hotspot feature.

How to use Instant Hotspot feature in iOS 8

Here’s a look at what’s new in the iOS 8 hotspot and how you can use this great feature. Most of the iOS 8 hotspot features are the same as in iOS 7, so you’ll already be familiar with how to use it.

Turn on the iOS 8 Hotspot.

If you’ve never used the iOS 8 hotspot you need to turn it on before it shows up in the main settings screen. To do this go to Settings -> Cellular -> Personal Hotspot -> On. After you do this once iOS 8 adds a shortcut to the main settings menu for faster access to the iOS 8 hotspot settings and to turn the feature on and off.

All you really need to do is turn the iOS 8 hotspot on and then enter the password on the device you want to connect with and the devices will connect so you can start using it to get online.

Change the iOS 8 hotspot password.

The best thing to do is set up your iPhone hotspot with a hard to guess, but easy to remember password. Go to Settings -> Personal Hotspot -> Tap on Password -> enter a new password to change this. If you already connected you will need to enter the new pass code.

To see how much data you are using on the iOS 8 hotspot you can go to Settings -> Cellular -> Scroll Down -> Tap on System Services -> See Personal Hotspot data usage.

How to Change iOS 8 Hotspot Name.

If you want to change the name of the iOS 8 hotspot you need to change the name of your iPhone. Go toSettings -> About -> Name -> type a new name. This changes the name your iPhone uses for syncing and what will show up on some Bluetooth connections as well.

That’s all there is to using the iOS 8 hotspot to get your other devices online. The new feature in iOS 8 is the ability to see the signal strength and battery life of the phone under the WiFi menu on another iOS 8 device or on a Mac running OS X Yosemite.

New iOS 8 Hotspot Feature

On iOS 8 devices and on a Mac with OS X Yosemite you’ll see the signal strength and battery life of the device you use as an iOS 8 hotspot.

That’s it. As you can see, tethering to your iPhone’s cellular data connection just got a whole lot easier in iOS 8.

The screenshot above show what this looks like on an iPad. You will see this on other devices and when the OS X Yosemite update comes next month you will see it on your Mac. Let me know what you think in the comments.